BAND: Wrathgate
ALBUM: "Demo EP"
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RECORD LABEL: none
ALBUM TYPE: EP
* * * * * * * (7 out of 10 stars)
Wrathgate is a metal band from Tucson, AZ. Naturally one would think 339metal to be biased towards any metal band out of Arizona's Sonoran desert. This is not the case.
From the first time I heard Wrathgate on their Facebook page, I knew that this was a band that I would follow, as long as they keep releasing material. I thoroughly enjoyed the sounds I'd heard. However, we'll
start with the first track of the demo, (The Neck). As with many albums, this is a very straight-forward track that eases your foot into the pull as easily as a drill bit enters your skull. I'm fairly certain that the first twenty seconds or so may detour the unlearned metalhead. Not a worry, this is simply Wrathgate's way of trimming the fat. If you stick it out, you are in for an excellent flurry of rhythms, melodies, breakdowns, and an excellent solo. There is literally nothing going on here but great metal, done very well. Definitely not the best track of the demo, but is a great fit to introduce you to the band.
(The Neck) leaves you with just enough cool down for the next track, (Lord Father) to get you started again. This is actually the first track I'd ever heard from Wrathgate. I heard it on their Facebook page and instantly fell in love. (Lord Father) starts off like a swift punch to the temple: refreshing, unexpected, painful, and invigorating; all at the same time. If you are not headbanging by the end of this track, I truly fail to see what you are looking for in a metal song. This one has it all.
Lastly, (K.F.C.) is the final track of this 3 track demo. Very rarely do you see a band that can remain musically and diversely technical, while constructing the arrangement of each song so magnificently. They never allow the song-writing to succumb to their technical ability. It is almost as if they have methodically planned each and every riff, verse, chorus, breakdown, and transition methodically in a dark basement over many sleepless nights. Hands down, favorite track of the demo.
Demos are supposed to be a short and sweet introduction to who the band is as a whole. It's like a job interview, only you're showcasing something that actually matters. In my humble opinion, I feel that Wrathgate has nailed this one to a wooden post. The tracks are very well written, and although it is only 3 tracks, they were calculated enough to fit the vast complexity of who they are into a compact, Reader's Digest condensed version of an album. Hopefully, this will spark the interests of the global metal community. These guys are going to be huge. Great work boys. You may be top candidates for the poster boys of Sonoran Death Metal.
Cheers!
-- Bonus Track -- (He Who Must Not Be Named) --
Ok, so if you have previously picked up Wrathgate's demo EP, you may or may not have heard this track. I was fortunate enough to have obtained the track as a bonus for downloading the track once they announced it. Three cheers for ensuring a band is on your Facebook news feed! They announce cool shit!
But anyway, back to the song... As with the previously reviewed demo, (He Who Must Not Be Named) is an excellently written song. It is very easy for a metal musician to be so overwhelmed by their own talent that they entirely forget to compose their music in such a way that it is truly listenable to another human being. Wrathgate seem to be able to switch gears with ease. This is an excellent bonus track. I could easily see this being a mid-track on a full-length album. It does not necessarily include the same punch as the demo itself, but I would definitely love to see them play this one live. All in all, this 4 song ZIP file demo from Bandcamp has made me an instant fan of Wrathgate. Cheers, boys. Great work.